Page 48 of Reid

Liam shrugged and tried to look nonchalant and failed. “She’s a pain in my arse.”

“Okay,” Callie said slowly. “I’ve met her once, and she’s very beautiful.”

Liam slow blinked and nodded his head before his eyes softened. “She’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met.”

Callie wondered if there was perhaps more to his feelings than he was letting on. “Is it true she’s fallen out with her family?”

Liam’s jaw flexed as he clenched his fists. “The way they treated her they’re lucky she’s only just stopped speaking to them. They cut her loose to lunatics and did nothing to help her. If it weren’t for circumstance and luck, she would’ve been raped and murdered.”

Callie sucked in a breath, not just at his words but the obvious anger in them. “But she’s safe now?” Her hand slid to Reid’s thigh next to her own under the table and she felt the muscle and strength there. She felt safe, and the way his hand slid over hers and squeezed gently showed he knew how she was feeling. Her heart rate increased with love for this man.

“She is, and she’ll stay that way if she’d only start listening to her fucking security team and stop being a diva,” Liam said, his frustration clear in his tone.

Callie chuckled wanting to lighten the moment. “Sounds like you have your hands full.”

Liam made a non-response which said more than words ever could.

Callie twisted to Reid. “I need to use the restroom.” He immediately stood with her and they made their way upstairs to the public toilets.

“Let me just check it out.”

Callie gave him a long-suffering smile and shook her head. “Fine, go ahead.”

Callie watched Reid disappear inside the ladies’ room. She waited with her back to the wall and turned her head as she heard footsteps on the stairs.

A flustered woman around her age with a blonde child of about three in her arms advanced toward her. Callie offered her a friendly nod as the woman stepped around her and pushed into the ladies’ room.

Callie followed, wanting to stop the woman from freaking out when she found Reid inside and stopped dead.

“Callie, get out,” Reid shouted, but he was too late as the woman who faced them grabbed the young mother and her child, and pressed a gun against the little boys back.

Chapter Twenty

Reid gut tightened as he stepped into the ladies’ room and let the door close behind him. His instinct told him something was very, very wrong as he approached the last stall. He gave it a light push, and the door held.

“Hello, is someone in there?” He heard the toilet flush and stepped back, not wanting to frighten whoever was to death with his presence in the ladies’ toilet. He glanced at the door as it opened, and every breath in his body left him. “You!”

“Hello, handsome.” The woman advanced, her hand steady on the gun she aimed at him.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Reid fought the desire to glance at the door, instead angling his body so he was between Sophia and Callie.

“I’m afraid playtime is over for you and Callie. I need her to come with me now.”

“Not a fucking chance in hell.”

Reid witnessed Callie’s agent’s face twist with fury, and her hand tightened on the trigger. He had zero doubt in his mind that she would shoot him. He also had no doubt whatsoever that he wouldn’t let this mad bitch anywhere near Callie.

He was about to overpower her when the door opened behind him and a young woman with a small child walked in. His nightmare became complete when Callie entered behind her.

He moved at the same time as Sophia did, but he dove towards Callie while Sophia grabbed the young mother and pressed the gun to the toddler in her arms. The air in the room seemed to go still for a second as if time froze. He shoved Callie behind him and faced Sophia, and felt Callie grip the back of his shirt.

Callie peered around his back, and his muscles tensed ready to run if he had too. “Soph, what is this all about? Let them go, and we can talk about this.”

The little boy whimpered as the mother cried and wriggled in Sophia’s hold.

Sophia shook her. “Keep fucking still. I don’t want to hurt you or your kid but if she doesn’t do as I say, I won’t hesitate.”

The mother looked towards them, silently begging them to help her. Reid had years of experience with hostage rescue, and he knew when a person was bluffing, and Sophia wasn’t.